john and phyllis collier paperswilliam the descent was through charles and mary eyers, john and...

THE JOHN AND PHYLLIS COLLIER COLLECTION

Papers, 1881-1975(Predominately, 1887-1948)

14 ½ linear feet1 oversize folder

Accession Number 141L.C. Number

The papers of John and Phyllis Collier were deposited in the Archives of Laborand Urban Affairs in 1965, by Phyllis Feningston Collier. Additional papersand subsequent dates were later added by Phyllis Collier, and Comprise Part IIof this collection.

William Armistead Collier, Jr., a writer and poet, changed his name to JohnArmistead Collier. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, January 25, 1874, andhe died in Sierra Madre, California, September 29, 1947. A biographical sketchwritten by Phyllis Collier is appended, as well as a biographical sketchwritten by Collier himself in a letter to Henry W. Dana, February 26, 1926.

John Collier was early attracted to the seminary, but in 1898 was committed toan asylum, by his father, after an alleged attempt on the life of his teacher,Dr. Hale. In 1908, his father again attempted to have him committed on thegrounds of insanity, in part because of his ideas on property, anarchism andsocialism.

His education and employment were sporatic, and he worked and wrote under manypseudonyms; Nelson Collier, Armistead Nelson Collier, J. Kris Karpenter, andJohn Darmstadt. He was married three times; 1) 1909, to Lucille Pittman, bywhom he had a son, John Thornton Collier, 2) 1911, to Kate Crawford, and 3) 1915,to Miriam Allen deFord. In 1921, without legal sanction, he formed a life-longbond with Phyllis Feningston. He also had a son, Francois Lafitte, by FrancoiseLafitte in 1913.

His political and social thinking led him to Upton Sinclair's Helicon Hall (c.)1907-1908, and to Eden (Single Tax Colony) in Fairhope, Alabama, in 1911. Hewas also a speaker for the IWW and, later in his life, research director for theAmerican Society for Psychical Research.

Phyllis Feningston Collier was born May 18, 1896, in New York City, and died inSierra Madre, California, September 19, 1981. In 1917, Phyllis became secretaryto John Collier (not John Armistead Collier), organizer of the Cooper UnionInstitute and the New York Training School for Community Center Workers. In 1919,she joined the Bookkeepers, Stenographers and Accounting Union, AFL, laterbecoming its organizer. In 1919, Phyllis Collier became secretary of theAmerican Labor Party of New York State, and in 1920 was the Farm-Labor Partycandidate for the New York legislature from Westchester County. Her otherpositions included: settlement worker under Lydia Burklin, director of Friend-ship House, in 1921; work on the Survey of Milk Consumption in Newark, NewJersey in 1929; and a social worker for the Bureau of Public Assistance for theCounty of Los, Angeles, from 1932 until her retirement in 1958. After her

-2-

retirement, she organized the Costello Community Library with Mrs. NicholasSteelink, a successful library for deprived children.

Additionally, Phyllis lived at April Farm Cooperative Colony, Coopersburgh,Pennsylvania in 1928. She also used many pseudonyms; Mrs. John Darmstadt,Marna Leigh and Joan Delmar.

The papers, together with the photographs, publications and memorabilia ofJohn and Phyllis Collier, reflect most of the varied activities of their publicand personal lives.

Important subjects are:

American Labor Party, New York, 1919-1920Anarchist, Socialist, IWW, Communist, Trotskyite, and various radical,

intellectual and political activitiesE.P.I.C. (End Poverty in California)Ettor-Giovannitti defense in Great Britian (IWW strike in Lawrence, MASS.,

1912)Charles Garland - Garland Farm, American Fund for Public Service

(Garland Fund), 1920-1926Helicon Home Colony (Upton Sinclair) 1906-1907Tom Mooney DefenseSacco and Vanzetti CaseSingle-Tax and cooperative colonies at Fairhope, Alabama, Arden, Delawareand Coopersburg, Pennsylvania (April Farm)

Split among radicals over pacifist attitudes toward World War IWorkers Defense League

Among the important correspondents are:

Collier and Upton Sinclair, 1907-1934 (Upton Sinclair papers are in theUniversity of Indiana Library)

Collier (John Darmstadt) and Floyd Dell, 1926-1939Collier (John Darmstadt) and Victor F. Calverton (George Goetz), 1927-1936,

(Victor F. Calverton papers are in the New York City Public Library)Collier and Roger Baldwin, 1925-1947

An alphabetical list of correspondents, giving the date of occurrence and someidentifications, is appended. An index to subjects and correspondence forPart II is also appended.

3.


List of Correspondents

Correspondence with the following people appears in the Collier Collection:

Abbott, Leonard D., 1913, anarchist, poet and personal friendAldred, Guy A., 1914, English SyndicalistAlvord, Adeline M., 1936, literary agent for Hollywood studiosAmeringer, Siegfriend, 1937, editorial staff, the American Guardian,Oklahoma City, Okla.

Arens, Egmont, 1927, editor, New MassesBaldwin, Roger, 1925, (1928), 1935-1937, 1946-1947, personal friendBell, Tom, 1935-1941, anarchist author, personal friendBerkman, Alexander, 1908, 1915Boudin, Louis, 1927Burke, J. Frank, 1940, manager, Station KFVD, Los AngelesCalverton, Victor F. (George Goetz), 1927, (1932), 1935-1936,personal friend

Cannon, James P., 1929Cantor, Harry, 1926, Education director (?), Worker's Party, BostonChaplin, Ralph, 1935, editor, Industrial WorkerColeman, George W., 1915, Boston School of Social ScienceCollier, Barron G., 1923-1924, 1931-1932, cousin, advertisingexecutive, New York City

Cooper, Lindsey (Pinchon), 1911-1917, 1920Coryell, John R., 1908Cowley, Malcolm, 1932Dana, Henry W., 1926deCleyre, Voltairine, 1908, anarchist and poetessdeFord, Miriam Allen, 1914-1957Dell, Floyd, 1926-1927, 1935, 1937-1939Dreiser, Theodore, 1939Dunne, William F., 1927Eastman, Max, 1927, 1938Frankel, J. Allen, 1935, lawyer, Los AngelesFlynn, Elizabeth Gurley, 1921, 1926Gallagher, Leo, 1937, lawyer, Los AngelesGargill, S. Leon, doctor, Boston and New York City, personal FriendGarlin, Sender, 1927(Gellert), Camilla, 1919Ghent, William J., 1908, 1937Graham, Marcus, 1935, editor, Man!, California anarchist newspaperGrout, Louis Adams (Floyd), 1916, director, Boston School of SocialScience

Hall, Charles Cuthbert (to W.A. Collier, Sr.), 1906, president, UnionTheological Seminary

Hays, Arthur Garfield, 1927Hook, Sidney, 1935Howard, Eric (Howard Schaeffle), 1937, personal friend

4.


List of Correspondents, continued

Howatt, David (to Lindsey Cooper), 1912, sometime secretary to Upton SinclairLewis, Sinclair, 1937Lyons, Eugene, (1936?), 1938 (to Phyllis Feningston)Mason, Leland, (1911 or 1912), editor, Boston GlobeMcKeller, Kenneth, 1913, U.S. Senator, TennesseeMeily, Clarence, 1938Miller, Bert, 1926, district organizer, Worker's Party, BostonMiller, Fred R., 1932, editor, Left Writers, personal friendMoore, Fred H., 1922, lawyer, BostonMoore, T.E., 1928, editor, One Big Union Bulletin, Winnipeg, ManitobaNearing, Scott, 1927Oneal, James, 1927Pittman, Lucile Moore (Leech), 1908-1913, 1918, 1930Rosenberg, Alter, 1926, Young Workers League, BostonRussell, Dora, 1927-1928, British feministSanger, Margaret, 1916, 1921Schactman, Max, 1929-1930, 1935Schmalhausen, Samuel D., 1927Schnittkind, Henry T., 1927, publisher, the Stratford Company, Boston1935, editor, the Winchell-Thomas Company,Publishers, BostonSeldes, Gilbert, (1927 or 1928)Shepard, Odell, 1942, author of biography on Bronson AlcottSifton, Paul P., 1925, 1927Sinclair, Upton, 1918-1919, 1934Spector, Herman, 1928, authorStiller, Allen, 1935Thomas, Norman, 1937, 1939Tobey, Berkeley G., 1913, business manager, the MassesTrask, Sherwood, 1921Trotsky, Leon, 1927 (Letter from Collier only)Wicks, Harry M., 1927Wolfe, Bertram D., 1927

ALSO:

Babcock, Orville A., 1920, editor, the Labor News, Watertown, New York,active in the American Labor Party, State ofNew York

Butler, Elizabeth, 1906-1909Collier, John Thornton, 1927-1957Crawford, Kate, 1910-1913Fine, Nathan, 1920, active in the American Labor Party of Greater New YorkGarland, Charles, 1920-1921, founder of the Garland FundGarrison, William LloydGoldman, EmmaHale, Edward EverettKimbrough, Mary Craig, 1911-1913Lawrence, Frieda, 1948Lewis, Marx, 1922-1967

5.


List of Correspondents, continued

Luhan, Mabel Dodge, 1949McKeller, Kenneth, 1948, U.S. Senator, TennesseeMoon, Jennie, 1909-1912Pierce, Faith, 1920, member of the American Labor Party of Greater New YorkRaoul, William, 1911Sinclair, Meta, 1907-1929, 1947-1949Untermeyer, LouisUpdegraff, Edith, 1907

6.

THE NATIONAL CYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPHYVolume 4-9 - 1967

856—4962 v.49 Collier 57508

COLLIER, William Armistead Nelson (John-Armistead Collier), writer and poet, was born inMemphis, Tenn., Jan. 25, 1874, son of WilliamArmistead and Alice (Trezevant) Collier. His firstpaternal American ancestor was William Collier,who came to this country from England and residedin King & Queen County, Va., prior to 1670. FromWilliam the descent was through Charles and MaryEyers, John and Elizabeth (Ironmonger) Gaines, Johnand Elizabeth Merideth, Thomas and Martha FrancesDabney, Dabney and Sarah Barksdale, and ThomasBarksdale and Catherine Page Nelson, who were hisgrandparents. His father was a lawyer, a newspaperpublisher, and a director of the Associated Press.The son, who changed his name to John-Armistead Col-lier, received his preliminary education at publicschools in Memphis and attended the University ofVirginia in 1892-93, Stanford University in 1894-95,Union Theological Seminary and Columbia Univer-sity in 1905-06, and the University of TennesseeSchool of Agriculture in 1910. Meanwhile, at theage of seventeen he was employed on his father'snewspaper, the Memphis Appeal (later MemphisCommercial-Appeal), before running away fromhome. Following his studies at the University of Vir-ginia and Stanford University he worked for a timeherding stock on a ranch in central California. In1908 he was the subject of a famous dispute whenhis father, for the second time, attempted to havehim committed to an institution on grounds of in-sanity, in part because of his ideas with respect toproperty, anarchism, and socialism. Many famouspersonalities of the day came to his defense on thatoccasion, and in the subsequent court hearings hewon vindication of his right to hold such beliefs andwas pronounced sane. Soon after that he joined theHelicon Home Colony at Englewood, N.J., whichhad been established by Upton Sinclair (q.v.). Hewas a member of the staff of the Nashville (Tenn.)American in 1909-10 and was employed as associateeditor of the Knoxville (Tenn.) World in 1913, fol-lowing which he worked for his cousin, Barron G.Collier (q.v.) in the New Orleans, La., office of theConsolidated Street Railway Advertising Companyof New York. He also traveled in England, Scotland,and France in 1912-13, and while in London andGlasgow he was said to have aroused the British andScottish workers to protest the arrest and imprison-ment of two American labor organizers for theirpart in organizing the 1912 strike in the Massachu-setts textile mills. For a time in 1916, under thename of Nelson Collier, he was employed as a mo-tion picture actor in Hollywood, Calif. Throughoutthe years Collier devoted much of his time towriting. He was the author of numerous articlesdealing with such subjects as philosophy, mysticism,literature, anarchism, and socialism that appearedunder various pseudonyms in Birth Control Review, TheMilitant, The Modern Quarterly, Mother Earth, NewEnglish Weekly, Stratford Magazine, and many otherperiod-icals. Additionally, for a number of yearsprior to its demise in 1926 he served as a bookreviewer for the International Book Review, and in1927, using the name of John Darmstadt, he wasbusiness man-ager of The Modern Quarterly, Baltimore,Md. Call-ing himself a Malist, a name he chose asdescriptive of the stress on the preponderance ofevil that char-acterized his personal philosophy,Collier expressed in his poetry and other writingswhat he saw in life as a constant conflict betweengood and evil, in which the good did not alwaysprevail. A collection of his poems was publishedposthumously in 1948 as "In the Wilderness, Poems ofPessimism" and bore the name of John-ArmisteadCollier. His other writings included "The SexualRevolution," written under the name of JohnDarmstadt; "I and God," a satir-

ical play dealing with Upton Sinclair that he wroteunder the name of J. Kris Karpenter; and "The Search,Journal of a Mystic and Rebel," a three-vol-ume workthat was unpublished at the time of his death. He wasa frequent participant in literary forums, and hedelivered lectures on contemporary problems in London,England, and Berlin, Germany, as well as beforewomen's and workers' groups in various cities of theUnited States. In the early 1930's he organized adiscussion group for students at the University ofCalifornia, Berkeley, and in the later 1930's hedeveloped a similar group in Hollywood, Calif.,composed mostly of students from two of theuniversities in Los Angeles, Calif., for discussionsof contemporary problems, literature, science, andpsychic phenomena. After his death many of Collier'swritings, papers, and letters were preserved in theJohn and Phyllis Collier Collection in the LaborArchives of Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich. Hewas a member of the Sons of Confederate Vet- erans,the International Club of London, England,the CivicClub of New York City, and the Sierra Madre (Calif.)Art Guild. Born an Episcopalian, Collier served as alay preacher for a brief period in his youth,subsequently losing interest in conven-tional religionas his ideas matured. In later life he investigatedthe phenomena of mysticism and the mystical experiencerelative to man's capacity for di-rect communicationwith God, and during the 1930's he served as researchdirector of the Los Angeles section of the AmericanSociety for Psychical Re- search. He was married fourtimes: (1) in Memphis, Tenn., Sept. 3, 1909, to LucilePittman; he was divorced from his first wife in1911; (2) in Jackson-ville, Fla., in 1911, to KateCrawford, from whom he was divorced in 1912; (3) in LaJolla, Calif., Feb. \A 1915, to Miriam Allen deFord;he was divorcedfrom his third wife in April, 1921; (4)in New York City, July 14, 1921, to Phyllis, daughterof Haskell Feningston of Westchester County, N.Y., anim-porter. By his first marriage he had a son, JohnThornton. His death occurred in Sierra Madre, Calif.,Sept. 29, 1947.

7.

JOHN AND PHYLLIS COLLIER COLLECTION -- APPENDIX 2

Collier supplied the following biographical (informal) to H.W. Dana before goingup to Boston on the Garland Farm business - February 26, 1926.

BIRTH AND PARENTAGE - Was not born into the INTELLIGENSIA - but was respectablybegotten by his father, Col. W.A. Collier (See WHO'S WHO) of Memphis, Tenn.,lineal descendant of the famous Nelson family of Virginia - and other F.F.V.'s.

QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE - Formerly engaged in promoting educational-altrusticorganization (other than the Ku Klux) in the South, such as: ChairmanHistoricalCommittee, Dept. Commander, Sons of Confederate Veterans; Organizer of Movementfor Establishment of Depts. of History, U.S.C.V., in the Southern States.

Later, having been put out of Union Theological Seminary, on account of outburstsof unconscious revolutionary views on fundamental social and religiousquestions,became an active member of the U.S. Army of the Unemployed; delegate to the HoboInternational Convention; and joined various idealistic and cultural groups -such as: Upton Sinclair's "Helicon Hall" Colony, Englewood, New Jersey;FranciscoFerrer Association, New York; Fairhope, Ala. Single Tax Colony; the "Spirit FruitSociety" near Chicago.

Formerly member and speaker for the Syndicalist Movement in England; the BostonSchool of Social Science; San Diego, Cal. Open Forum; Los Angeles, Cal. IWW;Boston Branch of the Workers' Party of America (membership card destroyed a/cFacisti, in Naples, 1923).

At present, a calass-conscious prisoner of Civilization and an inmate of NewYork--where further references, and a "character" will be cheerfully furnishedby keepers, or by fellow-migratory-workers and shirkers.

Documentary evidence and pleasant newspaper publicity submitted on demand.

(Signed and sworn to:)A. Nelson Collier

P.S.: Was once appointed to a Consular Position in Guatemala - but hastilyabandoned diplomatic career, on account of the Earthquakes, and returnedtothe "U.S.A." on the same boat.

8.


Description of Series

Boxes 1-3 John Collier (William Armistead Collier, Jr.).Correspondence, notes, literary manuscripts(articles and poems), clippings, and miscellaneousmaterials relating to Collier's writings and tohis various activities and endeavors. The materialshave been arranged in a biographical-chronologicalfashion, beginning with his attendance at UnionTheological Seminary, 1905-06, to the posthumousvolume of his poetry, In the Wilderness (1948).The explanatory or descriptive notes which thedonor, Phyllis Collier, attached to much of thematerial, have been placed in the pertinent folders.

Boxes 3-4 JOHN COLLIER. The Search, a four-volume unpublished,unbound autobiography. The materials consist ofcorrespondence, clippings, manuscripts of articlesand poems, and excerpts from newspaper articlesby Collier. Interspersed among these materials areCollier's narratives, including excerpts from hisdiaries and journals. Many of the items haveexplanatory notes by Phyllis Collier attached. Eachof the volumes follows a particular theme and coversa specific period of time:Vol. I "Rebel and Heretic," 1881-1897. 265 pp.Vol. II "Mystic or Lunatic?," 1896-1913. 335 pp.Vol. Ill "Experimental Living," 1907-1937. 311 pp.Vol. IV "In the Radical Movement," 1905-1948. 341 pp.

Box 5 PHYLLIS COLLIER. Correspondence, notes, clippings,and miscellaneous printed materials relating toMrs. Collier's jobs, activities, and interests. Thematerials contain information on the Garland Fund,the American Labor Party, and the Farmer-Labor Party.The arrangement is alphabetical by subject; chronologicalwithin each subject for the period 1917-1967.

UPTON SINCLAIR. Correspondence, leaflets, clippings,pamphlets, and manuscripts by or about Upton Sinclair.Included are items pertaining to the Charles Garlandinheritance, Sinclair's gubernatorial campaigns, andHelicon Home Colony. The materials cover the period1906-1938 and are arranged alphabetically by subject.

Box 6 PAMPHLETS and BOOKS

Box 7 PHOTOGRAPHS and MEMORABILIA

9


Description of Series

Boxes 8-12 CORRESPONDENCE. Letters to John Collier from John ThorntonCollier, Lindsey Cooper, Kate Crawford, members of Collier'sfamily, Miriam Allen deFord, Mary Craig Kimbrough, JennieMoon, Lucile Pittman, Meta Sinclair, and others. Alsoincluded are copies of letters from Collier to the abovecorrespondents and letters to Phyllis Collier. The corres-pondence covers the period 1891 to 1967 and is arranged alphabet-ically by name of correspondent.

Box 13 PSYCHIC PHENOMENA, 1896-1948. Letters, clippings, leaflets,pamphlets, and miscellaneous items relating to psychic phenomena,mediums, spiritualists, and psychical research.

Box 14 General amd miscellaneous files, 1897-1963, consisting ofcorrespondence, notes, clippings, legal documents, andbooks on such subjects as the Collier family property inMemphis, Tenn. (1901-1963); John Collier's sanity trial(1908-1910); and the poetry of John Collier, Miriam AllendeFord, Michael Gold, Lucile Pittman Leech, and others.

Boxes 15-22 NOTES and JOURNALS. More than 100 notebooks consisting ofJohn Collier's Journals and reference and research notes whichfrequently include commentaries, critiques, and reflectionson books, articles, or general topics. The notes cover suchtopics as agriculture, occultism, natural science, socialorganization, philosophy, Persia,religion, psychology, spiritualism,psychic phenomena, literature, mysticism, history, biology,socialism, music, and evolution. All of the notebooks are datedand most of them indicate the locale where the notes were made:New York, Boston, University of Tennessee, Germany, Hollywood,etc. They cover the period 1894-1947 and are arranged chronologically.

Box 23 PAMPHLETS AND BOOKS

OVERSIZE Random issues of various California newspapers, 1933-1938.MATERIAL

10.


Box 1 John Collier

Union Theological Seminary, 1905-1906Activities in Tennessee, 1905-1910Voltairine de Cleyre, Leonard Abbott, 1908, 1913, 1949Anarchist Interests - 1908-09, 1915, 1919, 1926, 1936Collier Insanity Case, 1908-1910Social Interests, 1908-1911Miscellaneous References to Collier, 1908-1926Lee Meriwether, 1908-1960Collier Marriages - clippings, 1909-1918Lucile Moore Pittman, 1909-1911Single-Tax Colony, Fairhope, Alabama, ca. 1911-1912Lindsey Cooper - correspondence, 1911-1923Hobo Convention, New York City, 1912Visit to Scotland and London; Ettor-Giovannitti; I.W.W., 1912IWW Interests, 1913-1940Washington, D.C., Guatemala, 1913Miriam Allen deFord - correspondence and miscellaneous, 1915-1927

- poems, 1915-1943Boston School of Social Science, 1916Margaret Sanger, 1916, 1921Movie Career, 1916 (?)'Camilla (Gellert) - correspondence, 1919Socialist and Communist interests, 1920's (2 folders)Miscellaneous correspondence, 1920'sRobaix Richey, 1921-22"Coolidge and Corruption 'Vindicated'!" 1922Barron G. Collier, 1922-1934Collier Family - miscellaneous, 1922-1944

Box 2 John Collier

Naples Incident, 1923American Morality - clippings, ca. 1924-1927"Social Implications of Psycho-Analysis," 1925"A Business-Man's Philosophy," 1925Garland Farm - correspondence, 1926

- miscellaneous, 1920-26Civic Club of New York, 1926-29"Revolution and Sex" 1927

- background material, 1924-27- miscellaneous correspondence, 1927- Floyd Dell correspondence, 1927- V.F. Calverton correspondence, 1927

"The Sexual Revolution," 1927- controversy with H.M. Wicks, 1927- V.F. Calverton correspondence, 1927- miscellaneous correspondence, 1927

"Trotsky and Russian Reconstruction" 1928Trotskyite interests, 1929-30Left Writers, 1929-31, 1945Miscellaneous, 1930's

11


Box 2 (cont'd.)

Family; Financial problems; property, 1924-1948"War and Socialist Leaders" 1922"A Marxian Faces the Charge of Deviation from Marxism" 1935-36"The Hired Experts" 1936-37Miscellaneous correspondence and clippings 1932-40Tom Bell - correspondence, 1935-42Floyd Dell - correspondence, 1937-39Committee for Cultural Freedom, 1939-40Correspondence, 1942-47Miscellaneous clippings, 1940'sObituaries, 1947In the Wilderness" " " - correspondence, reviews, clippings, 1948-52

Box 3 John Collier

Miscellaneous - poetry- Notes and Comments (2 folders)- Notes on Marriage

The Search - Vol. I, "Rebel and Heretic," 1881-1897 (5 folders)- Vol. II, "Mystic or Lunatic?" 1896-1913 (7 folders)

Box 4 John Collier

The Search - Vol. III, "Experimental Living" 1907-1937 (6 folders)- Vol. IV, "In the Radical Movement" 1905-1948 (6 folders)- notes and quotations (2 folders)

Box 5____ Phyllis Collier; Upton Sinclair

[PHYLLIS COLLIER]American Labor Party, 1919-1920AutobiographyFred Beal: The Red FraudCorrespondence, 1942-1967Jobs and Activities, 1917-1929" " " , 1930-1964MiscellaneousTelegraph Hill Players, 1924-1926

[UPTON SINCLAIR]California Governor Campaign, 1934 - miscellaneous

- Democratic Party- Republican Party- pro-Sinclair- anti-Sinclair

E,P,I.C. Campaign, 1934E.P.I.C. Convention; Communist issue 1935E.P.I.C. Split 1935E.P.I.C. anti-McAdoo campaign, 1936

12.


Box 5 (cont'd.)

Helicon Home Colony, 1906-1907"I and God" - correspondence, 1935-1937Mary Craig Kimbrough, ca. 1910-1912A Monthly Magazine, April, 1918Sinclair - Collier correspondence, 1907-1912

" " " , 1918-1919, 1934Sinclair - Charles Garland correspondence, 1920-1921Socialist Party repudiates Sinclair, 1933-1934Miscellaneous clippings 1918-1938 (5 folders)

Box 6 Pamphlets and Books

Box 7

Photographs - William Armistead Collier, Jr.- Collier family, home, etc.- John Thornton Collier- Meta Sinclair- Miriam Allen deFord- American Labor Party, New York State, 1920- Thomas Davies Mutch- miscellaneous

LetterheadsMiscellaneous memorabilia (2 folders)

Box 8 Correspondence

1. Elizabeth Butler, 1906-19092-3. John Thornton Collier, 1927-1957 (2 folders)

4-11. Lindsey Cooper, April-October, 1911 (8 folders)


Lindsey Cooper, November, 1911-April, 1913 (11 folders)


1-8. Lindsey Cooper, June, 1913-1917 (8 folders)9-11. Kate Crawford, 1910-1913 (3 folders)12-15. Miriam Allen deFord, 1914-1957 (4 folders)

16-17. Family correspondence, 1891-1898 (2 folders)


1-3. Family correspondence, 1905-1920 (3 folders)4-6. Mary Craig Kimbrough, 1911-1913 (3 folders)7. Marx Lewis, 1922-1967

8-9. Miscellaneous, 1897-1947 (2 folders)10. Jennie Moon, 1909-1912 and undated

11-18. Lucile Pittman, 1908-May, 1910 (8 folders)

13.



1-4. Lucile Plttman, July, 1910-1913, 1918, 1930 (4 folders)5. William Raoul, 1911

6-17. Meta Sinclair, 1907-1929, 1947-1949 (12 folders)18. Edith Updegraff, 1907

Box 13 Psychic Phenomena

1-2. American Society for Psychical Research, 1932-1937 (2 folders)3-4. Mediums - "Argamasilla case," 1924 (2 folders)5. - Edgar Cayce, 1947-19486. - Eileen Garrett, 1933-19347. - Houdini, 19248. - "Margery", 1925-19269. - miscellaneous clippings, leaflets10. - Patience Worth11. Psychic phenomena - address to the Sierra Madre Forum12. - letters, 1925-193413. - pamphlets, 1896-194314. Psychical research - California Psychical Research Society, 1930-193315. - clippings

16-17. - correspondence, 1932-1933 (2 folders)18. - The Forum, 193219. - Hamlin Garland lecture, "Forty Years

of Psychical Research," 193320. - Houdini21. - miscellaneous22. - transcript of trance session with medium

Eileen Garrett, 1932

Box 14

1. Collier arrest, 1897 - clipping2. John Collier - diary notes, 19393. - notes, thoughts, ideas4. Collier family property - correspondence, notes, clippings, 1901-19635. - court brief6. Harry Kemp - clippings, 19137. Legal papers - divorce decree, will, 1912-19138. Poetry - Noureddin Addis9. - Armistead [John] Collier10. - Miriam Allen deFord11. - Michael Gold12. - Lucile Pittman Leach13. - Lucy Reynolds14. - Edith Summers

15-17. Sanity trial (2nd) - documents and letters, 1908-1910 (3 folders)18. - Edwin Johnson letters, 1908-190919. - Albert Moore letters, 1908-190920. - notes

14


Box 15 Notes and Journals, 1894-1911

1. 1894-1899, Journal2. 1907, Notes - Philadelphia3. 1909-1912, Journal4. 1910, Notes - Univ. of Tennessee - (agriculture)5. - Fairhope6. - Fairhope (theosophy; occultism)7. - Fairhope8. 1910-1911, Notes - Fairhope; Univ. of Tenn. Farm (natural science)9. 1910 - Univ. of Tennessee10. 1910-1911, - Fairhope; Eden11. 1911, Journal - DeSoto Falls12. 1911, Notes - Eden; Fairhope13. - Fairhope ("sex question"; eugenics)14. - DeSoto Falls; Lookout Mountain (social organization)


1. 1912, Notes - London2. - Ruskin, Florida (Fourier; social organization)3. - Europe4. 1913, Notes - Clarendon, Va. (chemistry and agriculture)5. - Clarendon, Va. and Washington, D.C.6. 1914, Notes - Boston and Overbrook (philosophy of religion)7. - Boston (Jacob Boehme and mysticism)8. - Boston (philosophy)9. - Boston and Overbrook (philosophy and religion)10. - Boston (philosophy, science, and literature)11. - Boston (philosophy of religion)12. 1919 - Berkeley (psychology and philosophy of religion)13. - Berkeley


1. 1919-1920, Notes and Journal - Coronado; Hollywood ("thoughts to Camilla")2. 1920, Notes - Hollywood (Italy)3. Notes and Comments - Hollywood4. - Hollywood (history of philosophy)5. 1920, Notes - Hollywood (Italy, Rome, Naples)6. 1921, Notes - Washington7. 1921, Notes and Comments - Washington8. 1921, Notes - Washington; Boston (evolution; science)9. 1922, Notes and Comments - Lake Pleasant, Mass.10. - Woods Hale11. - Lake Pleasant, Mass. (spiritualism, psychic

phenomena)12. 1923, Notes - Germany13. 1923-1924, Notes - New York14. - Berlin, London, New York15. 1924, Notes - New York16. - Brooklyn (aesthetics and criticism)

15



1. 1924-1925, Notes and Comments - New York (psychic)2. 1925, Journal3. 1926, Notes - Cambridge, Mass. (psychical research)4. 1925, Notes and criticism - Brooklyn (Byron)5. 1925, Notes and Comments - Brooklyn (Shelley and Byron)6. 1925, Notes - North Carver7. 1926, Notes - Boston (science; socialism)8. 1926-1927, Notes - Boston (social, psychotherapy, mysticism)9. 1926, 1933, Notes and comments - Boston (miscellaneous)10. 1927, Notes - Cambridge (Marx, socialism)11. - Cambridge (sociology, psycho-therapeutics)12. - Cambridge13. 1928, Notes and comments - Baltimore14. - New York; Baltimore (revolutionary)


1. 1928, Notes and Comments - New York (revolutionary)2. 1928, 1932, Notes and Comments - New York; Hollywood3. 1929, Notes and Comments - Baltimore (historical)4. - Baltimore (civilization)5. - Baltimore; Sunnyside (biology)6. - Baltimore; Sunnyside (history)7. 1931, Notes and Comments - Berkeley (criticism)8. 1929-1931, Notes and Comments - New York; Berkeley (biology, sociology)9. 1930-1931, Random notes - Berkeley10. 1931, Random notes - Berkeley11. 1932, Reflections and notations - Hollywood12. 1932, Notes and criticism - Hollywood (psychic research)


1. 1932-1933, Notes and Comments - Hollywood (history, philosophy of history)2. 1933-1934, Notes3. 1934, Notes and comments - Pasadena; Linda Vista (southern history and

recons truction)4. 1933, Notes and comments - Hollywood, Linda Vista (historical; sociological)5. 1934, Commentaries - Hollywood; Linda Vista (southern history)6. 1933-1937, Literary notes - Hollywood; Pasadena; Sierra Madre7. 1934, Notes and Comments - Linda Vista8. 1934-35, 1937, Notes and Comments - Linda Vista (philosophical)9. 1934-1935, Notes and Comments - Linda Vista (American history, philosophy)10. 1934, Notes and Comments - Linda Vista (southern history)


1. 1935-1936, Notes and Comments2. 1935, Criticism and Comment (history)3. 1937, Remarks and criticism (Persia)4. 1937, Notes and commentaries (China)5. 1937-1938, Journal6. 1937—1938, Notes and comments (history and philosophy: Balkans, Greece)7. 1938, Notes and comments (philosophical)8. 1938, Notes, comments, criticism (modern science)

16


9. 1938, Notes and comments (music and musicians)10. 1938, Journal11. 1939, Journal, notes and comments12. 1939, Journal, notes and comments (Ruskin; Gnostics)13. 1939, 1942, Notes and comments14. 1940, Journal15. 1940, Notes, comments and memoranda


1. 1941-1946, Notes and comments (misc. quotations)2. 1942, Journal and reflections3. 1940-1942, Journal and reflections (evolution)4. 1942, Memoranda (evolution)5. 1940-1942, Notes, comments and criticism (evolution)6. 1941-1942, Notes, comments and criticism (evolution)7. 1942, Notes, comments and criticism (evolution)8. 1942-1943, Notes and comments9. 1942, Journal and reflections10. 1942-1943, Journal and reflections11. 1943, Journal, notes and comments12. 1943, Journal and notes13. 1944, Journal (individual testimony to Malism)14. 1946, Notes and comments15. 1947, Notes and comments16. n.d., Marginals copied for Journal

Box 23____ Pamphlets and Books

17

THE JOHN AND PHYLLIS COLLIER COLLECTIONOVER-SIZED FOLDER

Issues of and Clippings from various editions of the Epic News, December 1933-May 1938.

Utopian News, July 30 & September 27, 1934

American Democracy, October 11, 1934

United Progressing News, July 19 & 26, 1935

Peoples Progress, May 11, 1936

The Open Forum, February 13, 1937

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Contents

6 manuscript boxes

Part II

Series XI, John Armistead Collier, 1887-1975, Boxes 24-26:Subseries A: Biographies, 1874-1975, Box 24,

Biographies of John Armistead Collier, family and friends.Subseries B: Correspondence, 1887-1945, Boxes 24-25,

Correspondence with family and friends. Also included are the CharlesGarland letters, 1920-1922.

Subseries C: Personal Files, 1887-1947, Boxes 25-26,Included are documents, employment information, material relating toJohn Collier's two confinements, and material relating to hispolitical activity.

Subseries D: Literary Works, 1908-1970, Box 26,Literary works by and referring to, John Collier, family and friends.

Series XII, Phyllis Feningston Collier, 1919-1973, Boxes 27-30:Autobiography, correspondence, diaries, publised work and personal files ofPhyllis Collier.

Non-manuscript Materials:Photographs and memorabilia of Phyllis Collier have beenplaced in the Archives Audio Visual Collection.

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Series XIJohn Armistead Collier, 1887-1975

Boxes 24-26

Files relating to John Armistead Collier.

This series is divided into the following four subseries:

Subseries A: Biographies, 1874-1975, Box 24

Biographies, obituaries and articles on John Armistead Collier, family andfriends. Files are arranged alphabetically.

Subseries B: Correspondence, 1887-1945, Boxes 24-25

Correspondence with family and friends. Also are included are the CharlesGarland letters, 1920-1922, and correspondence on Helicon Hall, 1911-1913.Files are arranged chronologically, and alphabetically within years.

Subseries C: Personal Files, 1897-1947, Boxes 25-26

Included are documents initiated by John Collier, letters and news clippingsrelating to his employment, the relevant material pertaining to his twoconfinements for insanity, and clippings, brochures and letters on hispolitical activity. Files are arranged alphabetically by subject, thenchronologically.

Subseries D: Literary Works, 1908-1970, Box 26

Literary works, published and unpublished, by and about John Collier, familyand friends. Files are arranged alphabetically by name, and thenchronologically.

Subseries A: Biographies, 1874-1975

Box 24

1. Collier, Alice Trezevant2. Collier, Barron3. Collier, John Armistead4. Collier, Thomas5. Collier, William Armistead, Sr.6. deFord, Miriam Allen7. Ellis, Havelock8. Lafitte, Francois

9. Shipley, Maynard

Subseries B: Correspondence, 1887-1945

Box 24

10. Jefferson Davis, 188711. Thomas Collier, 1894, 1895, 1908

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12. Alice Trezevant Collier, 1895, 1918, 192013. W.A. Nelson Collier, Sr., 1895, 1897, 1906, 1908, 1913, 1916, 191714. Family, 1901, 1909, 192515. Meta Sinclair Keene, 190816. Lucille Pittman, 1908-191017. Upton Sinclair, 1908, 191818. Friends, 1909, 1917, 191919. Helicon Hall, 1911-191320. Francoise Lafitte, 191221. re Francoise Lafitte, 191222. Francoise Lafitte, 191323. re Francoise Lafitte, 191324. Miriam Allen deFord, 191425. Miriam Allen deFord, 191426. Miriam Allen deFord, 191527. Miriam Allen deFord, 191628. Miriam Allen deFord, 191729. Boyland, 191730. Barron Collier, 1917, 193831. Miriam Allen deFord, 191832. Miriam Allen deFord, 191833. Maynard Shipley, 191834. Dora Chappie, 1919

Box 25

1. L.C. Cinquegrana (Camilla), 19192. L.C. Cinquegrana (Camilla), 19193. W.A. Nelson Collier, Sr., 1919-19204. Miriam Allen deFord, 19195. Miriam Allen deFord, 1920-19216. Charles Garland, 1920-1922, 19257. Garland Letters, 1920-19228. Garland Letters, 19229. Garland Letters, n.d.10. Miriam Allen deFord, 192211. Miriam Allen deFord, 1923-192512. Friends, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1935, 193713. Miriam Allen deFord, 1926, 1930, 193414. Phyllis Collier, 1927, 1928, 193915. Kenneth McKeller, 1931, 193616. Thomas Collier, 1936, 193917. Miriam Allen deFord, 1936-193918. Trezevant Collier, 1936, 193919. Friends, 1937-194020. Meta Sinclair Keene, 194221. Miriam Allen deFord, 194522. re John Collier, n.d.

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Subseries C: Personal Files, 1897-1947

Box 25

23. Document; Divorce, 191224. Documents: re Franeoise, 1912-191325. Document; Will, 194726. Employment; Aulon, 1908-190927. Employment, 1908-1910, 1912-191328. Employment, 1920-1921, 1925-192629. Insanity Hearings; Correspondence, 1897-189830. Insanity Hearings; Document, 189731. Insanity Hearings, News Releases, 1897-189832. Insanity Hearings, Reflections, Narative, 189733. Insanity Hearings; Correspondence, 190834. Insanity Hearings; Correspondence, 190935. Insanity Hearings; Correspondence; 191036. Insanity Hearings; Document, 190837. Insanity Hearings; News Releases, 1908-190938. Insanity Hearings; Reflections, 1909

Box 26

1. Political Activity; Clippings, Brochures, 1900-19102. Political Activity, 19123. Political Activity, 1917, 1925-1929

4. Political Activity, 1936-1938, 1942

Subseries D: Literary Works, 1908-1970

Box 26

5. John Collier, 1908, 1911, 1919, 1921, 1925, 19266. John Collier, 19257. John Collier, 19278. John Collier, 1933, 1935-379. John Collier, 194810. John Collier, n.d.11. Collected by John Collier12. re John Collier13. Miriam Allen deFord, 1915, 1917, 1918, 192114. Miriam Allen deFord, 192515. Miriam Allen deFord, n.d.16. Franeoise Lafitte, 1914, 1946, 197017. Franeoise Lafitte, 196218. Lucille Pittman, n.d.19. Maynard Shipley, 1924, 192520. Maynard Shipley, 192821. Upton Sinclair, 1909, 1927

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Series XIIPhyllis Feningston Collier 1919-1973

Boxes 27-29

Autobiography, correspondence, diaries, employment information, political activityand published works of Phyllis Collier. The series also includes the hand writtenenclosurse lists for the collection and publications of the period. The files arearranged alphabetically by type of material, and then chronologically.

Box 271. Autobiography2. Correspondence; William Kohn, 1919-19203. Correspondence; Charles Merz, 1919-19204. Correspondence; Jim Bagley, 19205. Correspondence; Ernest Bohm, 19206. Correspondence; Faith Pierce, 19207. Correspondence; Sally Feningston, 19218. Correspondence; Isadore Duncan, 19229. Correspondence; Robert Anderson Pope, 192210. Correspondence; Miriam Allen deFord, 1923, 1924, 1927, 193011. Correspondence; Fritz During, 192312. Correspondence; German Activists, 192313. Correspondence; Ben Legere, 1923, 1947-194914. Correspondence; Marx Lewis, 1923, 1925, 1926, 1928, 1929, 194915. Correspondence; Fritz Walther, 1923-192416. Correspondence; Fritz Walther, 192517. Correspondence; Ben Gold, 1926, 1927, 193018. Correspondence; Ellen Hayes, 192619. Correspondence; Selmer Shocken, 1926-1929, 1931, 1932, 1938, 193920. Correspondence; Carl Apple, 192721. Correspondence; Claude Clements, 192722. Correspondence; Solon DeLeon, 192723. Correspondence; Lydia Gibson, 192724. Correspondence; William Ernest Hocking, 192725. Correspondence; Antoinette Konikow, 192726. Correspondence; Eugene Lyons, 192727. Correspondence; Bea Carlin, 1927-192828. Correspondence; A.B. Magil, 192829. Correspondence; Friends, 192930. Correspondence; Max L. Rosenberg, 193031. Correspondence; Vladimer Ilyech Jerome (J. Romain), 1930-193132. Correspondence; Meyer Loonin, 193133. Correspondence; Ming Hua Wei, 193134. Correspondence; Ming Hua Wei, 1932-193335. Correspondence; Ray Sparrow, 193436. Correspondence; Dorothy (Ray) Healy, 1934, 1966, 196937. Correspondence; J. Allan Frankel, 193538. Correspondence; C. Frank Glass, 1935

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Box 28

1. Correspondence; Allen Stilley, 19352. Correspondence; Leon Kramer, 1935, 19383. Correspondence; Bill Seligman, 1935, 19394. Correspondence; Lucia Cheyney, 19375. Correspondence; Valida Hasson, 19376. Correspondence; Max Nomad, 19377. Correspondence; William G. Raoul, 1937, 19488. Correspondence; William G. Raoul, 1948, 19509. Correspondence; Martha Ashmore, 193810. Correspondence; Donald McLean, 193911. Correspondence; School Friends, 193912. Correspondence; Chris 0'Sullivan, 1939-194013. Correspondence; Chris 0'Sullivan, 1940-194114. Correspondence; Sylvia Jaffe, 194015. Correspondence; Tom Bell, 194116. Correspondence; Meta (Sinclair) Keene, 194817. Correspondence; The Nation, 195018. Correspondence; Chaim Shapiro, 195819. Correspondence; Tennesse Library and Archives, 196320. Correspondence; Mildred Rosenberg, 196421. Correspondence; Scott Nearing, 196522. Correspondence; Francois Lafitte, 1970-197123. Correspondence; Francois Lafitte, 1971-197324. Correspondence; Leo Gallagher, n.d.25. Correspondence; Max Kosler, n.d.26. Correspondence; Lucille Pittman, n.d.27. Diaries, 1923-192628. Diaries, 1929-193929. Diaries, 1931-193830. Diaries, 1938-194031. Diaries, 1940-1942, 1946, 1959-1960

Box 29

1. Diaries, 1958, 1965, 1969-1971, 19732. Diaries; Notes From Readings, 1931-19333. Diaries; Notes From Readings, 1948, 1952, 1954-19564. Diaries; Notes From Readings, 1956-1959, 19625. Diaries; Notes From Readings, 1960, 1962-1964, 1966-19706. Diaries; Notes From Readings,n.d.7. Employment, 1917-19268. Employment, 1926-1927, 19299. Employment; Milk Survey, 192910. Employment; Milk Survey, 193211. Employment; Milk Survey, 193212. Employment, 1932, 193813. Employment; Social Worker's Plight, 193514. Employment; Conference Paper, 194115. Employment; Costello Community Library, 1964-196616. Employment; Forms17. Employment; Letterheads

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18. Employment; Publications, 1954, 1956, 196119. Enclosure Lists20. Enclosure Lists21. Political Activity, 192022. Publications; The Woman Voter, 191423. Publications, 1919, 1927, 194024. Published Works, 1917, 1925-1927

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Index to Subjects and Correspondents(correspondence is indicated by an asterisk)

*Apple, Carl; President, Upholsters Union, 27:22

*Bagley, James; President, Paper Handlers Union, 27:6*Bell, Thomas; anarchist author, personal friend, 25:19, 28:15*Bodenheim, Maxwell, 28:27*Bohm, Ernest; Secretary, American Labor Party, 27:7Burklin, Lydia; Head of Friendship House, 28:20*Bryan, W.J.; Secretary of State, 25:27

*Cheyney, Lucia; poetess, 28:4*Cooper, Lindsey (Pinchon); poetess, 24:19

*Davis, Jefferson, 24:10*deFord, Miriam Allen; author, 24:6, 24:24, 24:25, 24:26, 24:27, 24:28, 24:31,

24:32, 25:4, 25:5, 25:10, 25:11, 25:13, 25:17,25:21, 26:13, 26:14, 26:15, 27:12

Deportation; Ming Hua Wei, 27:34

Ellis, Havelock; Founder of the Scientific League of America, 24:7

*Gallagher, Leo; lawyer, Los Angeles, 28:24*Garland, Charles; founder of the Garland Fund, 25:6, 25:7, 25:8, 25:9*Gold, Ben; strike leader, 27:19

Helicon Hall, 24:19, 25:10*Hocking, Ernest; Harvard Union, 27:26Holtzman, Frannie.Ellen; lawyer, 28:29*Howard, Eric (Howard Schaeffle); magazine writter, 25:19

Index to Labor Periodicals, 1927, 27:22

*Keene, Meta (Sinclair), 24:15, 24:19, 25:20, 25:33, 28:16*Kohn, William; Chairman, American Labor Party, 27:4*Koster, Max, 28:25

*Lafitte, Francoise, 24:20, 24:21, 24:22, 24:23, 25:24, 26:16, 26:17*Leech, Lucile (Pittman), 24:16, 26:18, 28:26*Legere, Ben; labor leader, actor, 27:15*Lewis, Sinclair, 25:12*Lyons, Eugene; magazine writter, 25:19, 26:4, 27:28

*McKeller, Kenneth; Senator, Tennessee, 25:15, 25:28*Meriwether, Lee; author, 24:14, 25:33, 25:34*Merz, Charles; editor, New Republic, 27:5

*Nomad, Max; writter on revolutionary subjects, 28:6

*0'Sullivan, Chris; newspaperman, Australia, 28:12, 28:13

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*Pope, Robert Anderson; Town Planner, New York, 27:11

*Raoul, William J.; writter, 28:7, 28:8*Ray, Dorothy (Healey); labor organizer, 27:38

*Seligman, Bill; Shoe Workers Union, 28:33*Shipley, Maynard; writter, lecturer, 24:9, 24:33, 26:20, 26:21*Sinclair, Mary Craig (Kimbrough), 24:19*Sinclair, Upton, 24:17, 25:6, 25:33, 26:19

*Walther, Fritz; German Activist, 27:17, 27:18*Wei, Ming Hua, 27:35, 27:36